Improvement in combined pepper and salt caster



W. B. DEAN'. Combined Pepper and Salt Caster.

VIII/ll lb'nss'ag: Invenlm" N. PETERS. FHOYmuYHQGRAPHE. WASHINGTON. o,C,

UNITED. STATES Pnrrirrr Orr-'10E 4WILLIAM B. DEAN, OF YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINED PEPPER AND SALT CASTER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 215g441, dated May 20,1879 application led i March-12, 1879.

. the following is ay specification, reference be- 111g had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of the saine. i

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the body of myiinproved caster withthe cover removed. Fig..2 is a topview of the cover. Fig. 3 is a centralvertical section of the caster with the cover in place; and Fig. 4; is asimilarview of the upper ,portion of the same, showing a modification ofthesaving attachment to the cover. i

My invention relates to a caster intended to hold both salt and pepper,and from which either pepper or salt maybe cast or shaken at pleasurewithout casting the other; and consists, first, of a single vessel ofsuitable size and form to serve as a pepper-caster for table use, with alongitudinal or vertical partition that divides the vesselv into twoseparate compartments, one designed for pepper and the other for salt,the upper open end being provided with a cover having two series ofperforations, one over each compartment, and a movable register-platehaving corresponding perforations, but so arranged relatively to thosein the cover that when the said plate is set to open the perforationsover one compartment those over the other are closed by it; second, inthe combination, with said cover and plate, of a spring and stopswhereby the movement of the plate is controlled, so as to keep theperforations open over the salt-coinpartment, except when force isapplied to turn the plate to open the perforations for pepper and closethem for salt 5 and, third, in the combination, with the said cover,plate, and spring, of a'nger-piece, whereby the said plate may beconveniently turned or moved on the cover.

against the stressoil the spring.

A is the body of the caster, which, having the usual form and size ofthe common pepper caster, I make preferably of glass, by molding thesame, with the partitions hereinafter described, in a suitable mold,which any skillful glass-worker will know how to do, the top or open endbeing molded to receive and hold a suitable top or cover forapepper-caster. It may, however, be made of other material.

`This is divided into two compartments, A1 A2,

as seen in Figs. l and 3, by a longitudinal partition, a. It ispreferably so arranged as to give somewhat more room for the salt thanfor the pepper, as shown.

B is the cover, which is preferably made of metal, to tit onto the topof the body A, and secured in place either by screw threads, in theordinary way, or otherwise, as may be desired.

The cover must,- of course, behmade to t closely upon the upper edge ofthe partition a. If desired, a tight joint may be secured at this pointby making a groove in the upper edge of the partition and laying in it astrip or thread of rubber or other packing. The cover has a series ofperforations over each of said compartments.

f (l is a register plate fitted onto the upper surface of the cover B,provided also with two series of perforations, corresponding severallywith the series of perforations `in the cover, but so placed that whenthose in the cover and plate over one compartment coincide those overthe other do not, so that by shifting the cover either compartment maybe opened, and at the same time that the other is closed, at pleasure.

The plate or disk C is preferably pivoted at the center to the cover B.This may be done in any suitable way. One method is shown in Fig. 3, inwhich b is a hollow projection or a closed tube extending downward fromthe center of the cover B, and c a rod or pin extending from the plate Ointo b.

d is a spiral spring on c, one end of which is fixed toc and the otherto b, arranged to rotate the said plat-e on its pivot. e and e arestop-pins fixed in the cover B, and e is a fingerpiece extending fromthe edge of the plate C betweenthe said stop-pins. The stress of thespring tends to keep the finger-piece pressed against the pin c', thelatterbeingso placed that when the finger-piece is thus pressed againstit the perforations over the salt-cellar (indicated by the black circlesin Fig. 2) are open for the discharge of salt. Then by pressing theiingerpiece around against the stop-pin e the plate O is turned, so asto close the perforations over the salt-cellar and open those over thepeppercompartment, (indicated by the open circles in said Fig. 2.)

If preferred, the construction shown in Fig. 4 may be adopted, namely-apin, j', projecting upward from the cover B through a hole in the centerof th-e plate C, a spring, d', being coiled around the said pin, withone end attached thereto and the other to the said plate.

In place of the pins e e any other analogous stop device may beemployed-such, for eX- ample, as a lug on the cover projecting into aslot in the plate, or a lug on the plate projecting into a slot in thecover. So, also,in place of having the register-plate rotate on a pivot,itgnay slide from side to side across the cover, the perforations beingso arranged that when in one position one set of perforations will beopen, and when slid into another the other set will be open and theformer closed. case the spring must be arranged to press theregister-plate against a stop into position to open one set ofperforations, thus keeping such perforations always open, except whenthe plate is forcibly slid against the stress of the spring intoposition against a stop to close such perforations and open the otherset. In this case the linger-piece, extending beyond the outer edge ofthe cover B, should be suitably formed and shaped for the convenientapplication of force by the finger or thumb in the direction of thedirect sliding movement of the register-plate.

Itis important that the plate C should be kept closely pressed againstthe cover B, and the spring b or d is arranged to accomplish this end byhaving it coiled with the coils close In this together. Then when oneend'is fastened to the cover the coils are spread somewhatin fasteningthe other end to the plate.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a salt and pepper caster having two compartmentswith a single opening, of the perforated cover B and the perforatedmovable register-plate C, the perforations being so arranged thereinrelatively that when the said plate is set to open the per- `forationsover either of the compartments it closes those over the othercompartment, as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, in a salt and pepper caster having more than onecompartment with a single opening, of the perforated cover B, perforatedregister-plate C, spring d, and stops e e', as and for the purposedescribed.

3. rEhe combination, with the perforated cover B and register-plate C ofa combined salt-cellar and pepper-caster, of a spring', d, arranged tocontrol the movement of ldie said plate, as described, and a{juger-piece, c, connected with said plate, whereby the said plate maybe conveniently moved, as described.

4. The combination, with the perforated cover B and register-plate C ofa combined` pepper-caster and salt-cellar, of the spring d, whereby thesaid plate'is pressed into contact with the said cover, as described.

Witness my hand this 8th day of March, 1879.

WM. B. DEAN.

Witnesses B. S. CLARK,

MILLARD F. CLIFTON.

